# Vivian Qu

> Personal website and blog of Vivian Qu, a software engineer and writer.

## Core Content

- [Blog](https://vivqu.com/blog): Simulated Annealing is a blog focused on software engineering, creativity, and good books
- [About](https://vivqu.com/about): Background, contact information, and site colophon
- [Books](https://vivqu.com/books): Books written by Vivian Qu
- [Archive](https://vivqu.com/archive): Complete chronological list of blog posts
- [Tags](https://vivqu.com/tags): Posts organized by topic

## Books

- [Autumn: A Local's Guide to Travel in Japan](https://vivqu.com/books/autumn): Seasonal travel recommendations for Japan in autumn

## Projects

- [Recite](https://vivqu.com/recite): Chrome extension for memorization through spaced repetition
- [WorldAnimals](https://worldanimalsapp.com/): iOS and Android app for learning animal sounds in different languages
- [Haiku](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/haiku-poems-made-simple/id1227312972): iOS app to write haikus
- [AR Grimoire](https://argrimoire.com/): iOS app for D&D gameplay with AR capabilities
- [San Fransokyo Podcast](https://www.sanfransokyopodcast.com/): Year abroad in Tokyo podcast


## Blog Posts

- [Celebration of sunshine](https://vivqu.com/blog/2026/04/01/celebration-sunshine/): Amateur sociology of British springtime and the magical cultural phenomenon of celebrating sunshine
- [Writing as theory-building](https://vivqu.com/blog/2026/03/25/writing-as-theory-building/): Why writing is especially essential for scientists and engineers, part three of the writing as necessary friction series
- [Writing as synchronizing with reality](https://vivqu.com/blog/2026/03/01/writing-as-synchronizing-reality/): How sustained writing creates a perceptual shift and compels closer attention to the world, part two of the writing as necessary friction series
- [Writing as necessary friction](https://vivqu.com/blog/2026/02/22/writing-as-necessary-friction/): Exploring the intrinsic motivations for writing in an age of AI-generated content
- [Writing as fitness exercise](https://vivqu.com/blog/2026/02/22/writing-as-fitness-exercise/): How writing trains the mind to think, part one of the writing as necessary friction series
- [My reading habit](https://vivqu.com/blog/2026/01/12/reading-habit/): My process of discovering, reading, and recording books
- [Holiday book list](https://vivqu.com/blog/2025/12/14/holiday-book-list/): Annual reading recommendations
- [My mobile vibe coding setup](https://vivqu.com/blog/2025/11/30/vibe-coding-setup/): Building a home-cooked mobile app with Claude Code and SwiftUI
- [Why are mobile coding agents worse?](https://vivqu.com/blog/2025/11/23/mobile-coding-agents/): Challenges in AI-assisted mobile development
- [Rental nightmare in London](https://vivqu.com/blog/2025/09/30/rental-nightmare/): Moving abroad experiences
- [Britpicking](https://vivqu.com/blog/2025/07/13/britpicking/): Cultural observations living in the UK
- [No accounting for taste](https://vivqu.com/blog/2025/06/29/no-accounting-for-taste/): Writing and personal expression
- [Gen AI is not a silver bullet](https://vivqu.com/blog/2025/06/01/gen-ai-is-not-a-silver-bullet/): Realistic perspectives on generative AI in software engineering
- [Moving abroad to London](https://vivqu.com/blog/2025/05/04/moving-abroad/): International relocation experience
- [Paris of dreams](https://vivqu.com/blog/2025/04/01/paris-of-dreams/): Travel writing
- [Writing and publishing](https://vivqu.com/blog/2025/03/02/writing-publishing/): Reflections on the writing process
- [Reflections on onboarding](https://vivqu.com/blog/2024/09/07/reflections-on-onboarding/): Engineering onboarding best practices
- [Creami ice cream maker](https://vivqu.com/blog/2024/04/01/creami/): Kitchen tools and recipes
- [Office design](https://vivqu.com/blog/2024/03/10/office-design/): Workspace setup and ergonomics
- [Home projects](https://vivqu.com/blog/2024/03/10/home-projects/): DIY and home improvement
- [Yearly theme prompts](https://vivqu.com/blog/2024/02/04/yearly-theme-prompts/): Goal setting framework
- [Do things fast](https://vivqu.com/blog/2023/09/10/do-things-fast/): Moving quickly in engineering
- [Coming into focus](https://vivqu.com/blog/2023/07/23/coming-into-focus/): Career reflection
- [App approval hell](https://vivqu.com/blog/2023/04/30/app-approval-hell/): Navigating app store review processes
- [Building a Chrome extension: Recite](https://vivqu.com/blog/2023/04/02/recite-extension/): Extension development case study
- [Holiday book gifting](https://vivqu.com/blog/2023/01/16/holiday-books/): How to recommend books effectively
- [Fist to five voting](https://vivqu.com/blog/2022/12/19/fist-to-five/): Team decision-making techniques
- [Stacking PRs](https://vivqu.com/blog/2022/12/04/stacking-prs/): Git workflow for efficient code review
- [Outdated apps](https://vivqu.com/blog/2022/09/25/outdated-apps/): Mobile app maintenance challenges
- [Management books I recommend](https://vivqu.com/blog/2022/09/11/management-books/): Reading list for engineering managers
- [Juggling software projects](https://vivqu.com/blog/2022/09/04/juggling-software-projects/): Project management strategies
- [Engineering expectations at different levels](https://vivqu.com/blog/2022/04/02/engineering-expectations/): Career development guidance
- [Engineering ladder](https://vivqu.com/blog/2022/03/11/engineering-ladder/): Leveling frameworks and career progression
- [An existential essay by GPT-3](https://vivqu.com/blog/2022/02/04/nlp-existential-essay/): How an NLP model feels about NLP models and the human condition
- [Clarity, grace, and humor](https://vivqu.com/blog/2022/01/26/style-humor/): Elements of good writing
- [Patterns of engineering disasters](https://vivqu.com/blog/2022/01/01/engineering-disasters/): Failed rewrites, refactors, and engineering mishaps
- [How to write architecture docs](https://vivqu.com/blog/2021/03/01/architecture-docs/): Technical documentation best practices
- [Baseline bodies](https://vivqu.com/blog/2021/02/15/baseline-bodies/): Loving your aging body and fixing a sedentary life
- [Digital gardens](https://vivqu.com/blog/2020/10/18/digital-gardens/): Personal knowledge management and note-taking
- [Learning to build better software from maps](https://vivqu.com/blog/2020/06/16/engineering-and-maps/): Applying cartographic concepts to tech
- [Guide to making a podcast](https://vivqu.com/blog/2020/05/06/guide-to-making-podcast/): Podcast production from concept to launch
- [Compensation negotiation](https://vivqu.com/blog/2020/02/16/compensation/): Salary discussions and negotiation tactics
- [2019 in numbers](https://vivqu.com/blog/2019/12/31/year-in-numbers/): Year in review from Tokyo
- [Job search reflections](https://vivqu.com/blog/2019/12/09/job-search/): Career transitions and interviewing
- [Saving time with React Native](https://vivqu.com/blog/2019/09/17/world-animals/): Developer data from launching WorldAnimals mobile app
- [Simulated annealing: a life framework](https://vivqu.com/blog/2019/07/12/simulated-annealing/): Making good decisions despite being biologically bad at making them
- [The zen of handstands](https://vivqu.com/blog/2019/02/22/zen-handstands/): Fitness, movement, and mindfulness
- [Women's World series](https://vivqu.com/blog/2018/09/03/womens-world-pt-1/): Four-part series on matriarchy and society
  - [Part 1: Introduction](https://vivqu.com/blog/2018/09/03/womens-world-pt-1/)
  - [Part 2: Economics](https://vivqu.com/blog/2018/09/03/womens-world-pt-2/)
  - [Part 3: Politics](https://vivqu.com/blog/2018/09/03/womens-world-pt-3/)
  - [Part 4: Culture](https://vivqu.com/blog/2018/09/03/womens-world-pt-4/)
- [Disney World tips and tricks](https://vivqu.com/blog/2018/06/01/disney-tips/): Practical travel guide for visiting Disney
- [Disney World tracking](https://vivqu.com/blog/2018/02/12/disney-world-tracking/): Data analysis of theme park visits

## Optional

Additional resources that can be skipped if a shorter context is needed:

- [Privacy Policy](https://vivqu.com/privacy): Site privacy information

## Contact

- Email: hello@vivqu.com
- LinkedIn: [linkedin.com/in/vivqu](https://linkedin.com/in/vivqu)
- GitHub: [github.com/vivqu](https://github.com/vivqu)
- Instagram: [instagram.com/skwishum](https://www.instagram.com/skwishum/)
- Threads: [@skwishum](https://www.threads.net/@skwishum)